Vending machine



April 1965 v. FARINOLA 3,176,815

VENDING MACHINE Filed Aug. 12, 1963 z 'IOCOIN COUNTER v ANDRHIEC'I MECHANLSM M 28 '27 "I L I29 iiJ kkii 1 s; VF I 26 .1 :5 i 31 49 2/ 56" --54 EM 54 53 46 53 6O 3?. 41

INVENTOR 3e VITO FARINOLA 32" J B W 37 l ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,176,815 VENDIN G MACHINE Vito Farinola, 1096 Wallace Ridge, Beverly Hills, Calif. Filed Aug. 12, 1963, Ser. No. 301,553 5 Claims. (Q1. 194-4) This invention relates generally to improvements in advertising devices for vending machines, and more particularly to a coin actuated device which will provide an audible message urging the sale of a particular brand of merchandise prior to the selection of one of the different items vended by the machine.

One of the principal objects of this invention to provide a device suitable for attachment to a vending machine, with said device or apparatus being capable of producing an advertising message of short length which will be initiated substantially simultaneously by the dropping of a coin into the coin receiving slot of the vending machine.

Another object is to provide in a vending machine a message which will be repeated each time coins are dropped into the machine, the message going through a cycle which is initiated by the insertion of a coin into the mechanism and, because the duration of the message is of so short a length, the user of the mechanism will delay a selection until after having listened to the complete message, and will thus be influenced toward selection of the product advertized by the message. Apparent here is the fact that the main object of the invention. is to provide for the audible emission of an advertising message prior to the time that a purchaser makes a selection from the merchandise vended by said vending machine.

Still another object is to provide a vending machine including structure in a container for providing an advertising message which can be repeated each time the machine is operated by the insertion of a coin into the mechanism, the duration of the message being short so that the consumer will delay a selection of a product until after hearing the complete message, and in which the container may be installed in existing vending equipment.

Another object is to provide in a vending machine a structure for initiating and completing a repetitious advertising message where the initiation of such message is achieved by depositing one or more coins into the mechanism, the message being repeated until the user has completed his selection, or until he has actuated a coin return.

Other objects and important features of the invention will be apparent from a study of the following specification taken with the drawings which together describe and illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention and what is now considered to be the best mode of practicing the'principles thereof. Other embodiments may be suggested to those having the benefit of the teachings herein, and such other embodiments are intended to be reserved especially as they fall within the scope and spirit of the subjoined claims.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a vending machine embodying the attached advertising device according to the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a message repeating device adapted to be operated by the insertion of a coin into the mechanism seen in FIG. 1.

Referring now to FIG. 1 of the drawing, the improvements according to the present invention are embodied in a vending machine referred to generally by the reference numeral 10, and including a cabinet structure 11 supported upon legs or feet 12.

The structure 11 has a front panel 13 having a plu- 3,1763 15 Patented Apr. 6, 1965 rality of windows 14 therein each displaying an article of merchandise vended by the machine, for example, cigarettes, the articles of merchandise being retained in a suitable rack, not shown, such as is conventional in machines of this type. Each of the articles of merchandise can be delivered to a delivery chute 16 by the actuation of a selector knob 17 mounted on the front panel 13.

As is common in machines of this type, any one of the selector knobs 1'7 cannot be actuated until the user has deposited the correct denomination in coins, and the machine accordingly has a coin receiving slot 18 for the reception of coins in the proper amount and kind. Upon receipt thereof, a selector knob 17 may be actuated to accomplish the delivery of the article of merchandise to the delivery chute 16. A reject button 15 can be actuated to return the coin if a selection is not made,

. or if coins of an improper amount have been inserted into coin receiving slot 18, and the rejected coins move to the delivery chute 16. The above information is necessary in order to show the use and the relationship thereto of the present invention.

The invention comprehends the provision of a device which may include a container and having the circuit components on printed circuit boards and constructed so that the circuitry is potted, and in which said device will provide an advertising message which is repeated each time the machine 10 is operated. The advertising message is preferably of a short duration so that the user of the machine will delay the selcctionof merchandise until the message cycle has been initiated and completed. Structure is provided which will initiate and complete a message cycle. This control unit 24 comprises a bistable switch 64, a switch-closing solenoid 63, a switchopening solenoid 65, and a frequency or signal responsive device 66 the function of which will be hereinafter described. The advertising message is repeated until the user has completed his selection, or has caused the coins to be rejected by the reject button 15.

A continuous record medium 32, preferably of the elongated, endless magnetic type, is driven by a pair of capstan rollers 34 feeding the elongated record medium 32 into a magazine 37. Preferably, the magazine 37 is arranged to receive the elongated record medium 32 in a plurality of superposed layers therein, the record medium 32 entering the magazine 37 at an entrance slot 38. The record medium is withdrawn from the magazine 37 at a slot 39 and is trained about an idler roller 41.

The capstan rollers 33 and 34 are mounted on shafts 42 and 43 respectively, these shafts having meshing gears 44 and 46 thereon. Shaft 42 is driven by a motor 47 having a rotor 48 and a field structure 49 connected in leads 51 and 52 to the control unit 24.

The closing of the bistable switch 64 causes the motor 47 to be energized to move the elongated record medium 32, as seen in FIG. 2. The closing of switch 64 also connects the amplifier unit 28 to the power source by means of leads 29 and 31. The amplifier unit 28 is preferably transistorized to eliminate the warming up period. A pick-up 53 is arranged to cooperate with the moving record medium 32 and is connected in a circuit including leads 54 and 56 to the amplifier unit 28, and a transducer 57 connected by leads 58 and 59 properly amplify the message recorded on the record medium 32.

Structure is provided preferably in connection with the elongated record medium 32 for stopping the motor 47 when the message cycle has been completed. To this end, tape 32 may be provided with indicia 60 thereon such as a pulse outside the audible spectrum and arranged to cooperate with the pick-up 53.

From the foregoing description it is believed evident that there has been provided a novel advertising device c3 characterized by the provision of apparatus which will initiate and complete a message cycle for influencing the selection of a purchaser of vending machine merchandise.

While the invention has been described in terms of a preferred embodiment thereof, it is evident that other forms of a message reproducing device may be provided such as a conventional record disc or a magnetic disc Where the message is recorded thereon in any suitable fashion. The scope of the invention is accordingly not intended to be limited by a precise embodiment as herein shown, other embodiments being intended to be reserved especially as they'fall within the scope and spirit of the claims here appended.

What is claimed is:

1. A vending machine for selecting and vending different brands of merchandise, comprising plural sources and separate selection means for each source, coin receiving means including coin acceptance means for enabling said selection means to be operated, means for providing a cyclically, repetitiously, audible message directed to one of said brands of merchandise including a record medium at said coin receiving means for actuating said control a means to initiate a message cycle prior to said operation of one of said selection means.

2. A vending machine for selecting and vending different brands of merchandise, comprising plural sources and separate selection means for each source, coin receiving means including coin actuated means for enabling said selection means to be operated, means for providing an audible message directed to one of said brands of merchandise supported within said structure including a record medium and means for driving said record medium through a complete message cycle, means for amplifying said .message including a pickup cooperating with said record medium and a transducer, control means for said record medium driving means and said amplifier means including a source of power connected to said control means, means actuated by the presence of a coin at said coin receiving means for actuating said control means to initiate a message cycle and means providing for repeating a message cycle When a coin remains at said coin receivingmeans and said selection means is not operated.

3. A vending machine for selecting and vending different brands of merchandise, comprising plural sources and selection means for each sources, coin receiving means including coin actuated means for enabling said selection A means to be operated, means for providing an audible message directed to one of said brands of merchandise supported Within said structure including a record me 4 dium and means for driving said record medium through a complete message cycle, means for amplifying said message including a pick-up cooperating with said record medium and a transducer, control means for said record medium driving means and said amplifier means includa container including means for providing an audible message from a record medium, said message directed to a brand of merchandise contained in one of said sources, and means for driving said record medium through a complete message cycle, means for amplifying said message including a pick-up means cooperating with said record medium and a transducer, control means for energizing said record medium driving means, said amplifier means connected to a source of power through said control means, means actuated by the presence of a coin at said coin receiving means for actuating said control means to initiate the message cycle prior to the operationof one of said selection means, and means on said record medium connected in circuit with said control means for terminating a message cycle.

5. An advertising device for attachment to a vending machine having plural sources, coin receiving means, and separate selection means for each source, comprising a container, means therein for providing an audible message including a record medium, said message directed to a brand of merchandise contained in one of said sources, and means for energizing a motor for driving said record medium through a complete message cycle, means for amplifying said message including a transducer, control means for said record medium driving means and said amplifier means, and means actuated by the presence of a coin at said coin receiving means for actuating said control means to initiate a message cycle prior to operation of one of said selection means.

305,267 2/29 Great Britain.

SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Acting Primary Examiner.

ERNEST A. FALLER, 111., Examiner.

all -3. 

1. A VENDING MACHINE FOR SELECTING AND VENDING DIFFERENT BRANDS OF MERCHANDISE, COMPRISING PLURAL SOURCES AND SEPARATE SELECTION MEANS FOR EACH SOURCE, COIN RECEIVING MEANS INCLUDING COIN ACCEPTANCE MEANS FOR ENABLING SAID SELECTION MEANS TO BE OPERATED, MEANS FOR PROVIDING A CYCLICALLY, REPETITIOUSLY, AUDIBLE MESSAGE DIRECTED TO ONE OF SAID BRANDS OF MERCHANDISE INCLUDING A RECORD MEDIUM AND MEANS FOR DRIVING SAID RECORD MEDIUM THROUGH A COMPLETE MESSAGE CYCLE, MEANS FOR AMPLIFYING SAID MESSAGE INCLUDING A PICK-UP COOPERATING WITH SAID RECORD MEDIUM AND A TRANSDUCER, CONTROL MEANS FOR ENERGIZING SAID RECORD MEDIUM DRIVING MEANS, SAID AMPLIFIER MEANS CONNECTED TO A SOURCE OF POWER THROUGH SAID CONTROL MEANS, AND MEANS ACTUATED BY THE PRESENCE OF A COIN AT SAID COIN RECEIVING MEANS FOR ACTUATING SAID CONTROL MEANS TO INITIATE A MESSAGE CYCLE PRIOR TO SAID OPERATION OF ONE OF SAID SELECTION MEANS. 